Friday, 23 March 2018

Navrongo…an experience like no other

Photo credit: Tom

As we come to the end of our 10th week on
placement here in Navrongo, we have all had the experience of a lifetime. The
integration between the UK and Ghanaian volunteers has grown to become like one
big family. Along our journey we have shared differences between our different
cultures and have gained a lot of stories to reminisce about. We as volunteers
have reviewed our experience during our time on placement including how we have
found the ICS programme and the excitement of working alongside Youth Alive.

Rosie (Photo credit: Gloria)

I, being the youngest of the group, have greatly come to
love Ghana and working with Youth Alive has given me a massive insight into
topics I have not thought about in a lot of detail before. I believe the ICS
programme really opens your eyes to issues that are happening all around the
world. During the whole of the 10 weeks I have become my own person and have
found a great passion for the topics we have been focusing on,especially
women’s rights. I have developed many skills that I will continue to put into
practice after our placement ends and have enjoyed the challenge of pushing
myself to my absolute limits.

Osman and I (Photo credit: Rosie)

Osman, on the other hand, said that from his time on
placement he has learnt a lot from the ICS programme especially from the
interaction with the local community members. He has developed skills that he
never thought he previously had and he has become a better typist! Overall,
this experience for Osman has helped to expand his network of contacts and that
both ICS and Youth Alive are helping to create a positive change. He would
encourage people who have the heart to volunteer to join this programme to not
only help make a positive impact but to also develop themselves as a person.

Gloria and I (Photo credit: Rosie)

Following on from this, the nurse of the group, Gloria, has
had a wonderful time on placement and has found it to be very educative.
Working alongside Youth Alive, Gloria has found it be very informative and
supportive. Continually, the topics that we are focusing on are very close to
her heart, especially child marriage. Gloria looks forward to seeing a world
where women will be heard just like men. She has gained a lot of skills such as
confidence when speaking in public.

Mahera and I (Photo credit: Rosie)

Mahera has found the programme to help her
personal development and has found the experience to be very eye opening. Over
the course of her placement her writing skills have improved greatly.

Nathaniel and I (Photo credit: Mahera)

Nathaniel, who is a local citizen of the Navrongo district,
has had a very different experience with being so close to home. The programme
has moulded him into a good team player which has made him feel more
comfortable and confident within himself. He has also found working with Youth
Alive to be very useful and an experience he will never forget.

Alice and I (Photo credit:Elizabeth)

Alice, who is also from the Upper East region of Ghana, has
thoroughly enjoyed her time on placement and has grown in confidence over the
course of the 10 weeks. She has learnt many skills that will be of use to her
when she returns home such as her public speaking skills and she has also had
the chance to practice her typing.

ICV TL- Shasha (Photo credit: Tom)

Whilst our team of volunteers have learnt the Navrongo way
of life, our team leaders have also been adapting to the change of living away
from home. The In-country team leader Shasha has found it to be particularly
great working with Youth Alive especially when it comes to the sensitising of
the communities and local schools on key issues that are affecting them
personally.

For the last few weeks of our placement, we were still busy
as ever carrying out activities. Firstly, we carried out peer education
sessions in all the 4 local schools (Tampola, Gaani, Biu and Vunania). The
topic that was discussed focused on ‘Adolescent reproductive health’and created
many interesting discussions among the students.

As a continuation of our work we have also coached students
to appear on our last radio session discussing adolescent reproductive health.
This helped to educate the pupils and the locals.

Students of Vunania and Gaani Junior High Schools on Nabiina Radio (Photo credit: Osman)

Whilst also trying to see the
beauty of Ghana before we leave, our team leaders took us outside the
office for our guided learning at Tono Dam. This was a very interesting
experience learning about the history of one of the largest dams in West Africa.

After Guided learning at Tono Dam (Photo credit: Tom)

Our ten weeks on placement wouldn't have been successful without our driver, Alhaji Sandow. He has been so patient, supportive and a father to us.

with our driver, Alhaji Sandow (Photo credit: Shasha)

Overall, our experience has been exhilarating and has
challenged all of us in many ways and as a team would like to thank all the
readers of our blogs, the ICS programme and Youth Alive.